In hopes of getting to the bottom of this microdosing business, ATTN: looked into the effects of small doses of popular street drugs and their medical value.

1. LSD

Recreational drug-users often say that LSD allows them to see the world with newfound clarity and perspective, but the intense visual and auditory hallucinations of an LSD trip also can be incredibly overwhelming and unpleasant. "What if it was possible to tap acid at almost imperceptible levels as a way to heighten normal, day-to-day functioning without all the mind melt?" Brian Anderson asks on Motherboard.

Dr. James Fadiman has been studying the effects of psychedelic drugs since the 1960s, before LSD was banned by the FDA. Authoring "The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide," Fadiman's recent work looks at the effects of small doses of the drugs on various ailments, as well as creativity, general health and well-being. Fadiman recommends a dose of 10 to 20 micrograms of LSD, about a tenth of a standard recreational dose, and says that those who microdose correctly feel less happy, less anxious, and more creative. Other microdosers report relief from depression and headaches.

"Anti-depressants have never worked for me, and microdosing does," she said. "I can't explain it, and to be honest I don't care, because I feel like me – a whole, content me – for the first time in years."

Songwriter and journalist Brett Miles decided to undergo ketamine therapy for bipolar depression after unsuccessful rounds of various anti-depressants, stimulants, and benzodiazepines. Though the experiment was pricey, his experience was largely positive.

"With the IV treatment, you start disassociating with everything, like you're observing, not participating in anything." Miles told VICE. "You start thinking about all kinds of stuff. Whatever races through your mind — and usually when you're depressed it's negative shit — when you're on ketamine it's just like, Well, nothing I can do about that. You feel like, I'm not in control, and that's fine; you're going to die someday and that's just life. You kind of learn to just accept it, I guess."

As anyone who has been around cocaine is well aware, it often leads people to confide profound feelings and expressions of tenderness to distant acquaintances and strangers, so it is not difficult to imagine how this might be perceived psychological progress.

"Really, it’s MDMA-assisted psychotherapy," MAPS' Rick Doblin told the Huffington Post. "That’s the treatment -- it’s not just the MDMA by itself. This provides a lot of extra support and safety through the whole process."

"Basically, MDMA unleashes a massive release of serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. And this creates a state in which participants are very calm, and there's a deep feeling of trust with their therapist. So they're able to explore their trauma and process it," reporter Kelley McMillan told NPR.

It's also worth noting that "molly" bought on the street is almost always cut with amphetamines, opiates, or other chemicals that may counteract MDMA's medicinal value and endanger the user. In one sense, the chemical make up of a pressed ecstasy pill or capsule varies so greatly that no matter how little you take, if you buy it on the street, you're always rolling the dice.